Report: Lancaster man charged in Auburn bank robbery

WORCESTER -- A Lancaster man pleaded not guilty Wednesday after his indictment on charges he robbed the Bay State Savings Bank in Auburn on June 25.

John S. Gilmore, 40, of 224 Packard St., Lancaster, is charged with two counts of unarmed robbery as a habitual criminal, the Telegram & Gazette reported on its website.

Because he is a habitual criminal, if Gilmore is convicted of the new charges, he could face a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole in 15 years.

Bail was set at $25,000 without prejudice, meaning that a request for a bail reduction can be requested at a later date, and Gilmore's next court date is Oct. 2, according to the Telegram & Gazette.

Within hours of the June 25 robbery, three people -- including Lancaster Police Chief Kevin Lamb -- identified Gilmore as the man in a photo taken from the bank's surveillance video, the Telegram & Gazette reported.

He was previously sentenced to four to six years in state prison Jan. 8, 2003 after he was convicted in Worcester Superior Court on unarmed robbery charges, and was later charged with the same crime in the same court July 15, 2009. He was given credit for 474 says he spent in custody awaiting trail when he was sentenced in 2009, the Telegram & Gazette reported.

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